


Back Up the Rabbit Hole

by Merfilly



Series: Slade Verse [2]
Category: DCU Animated
Genre: Alternate Universe, Mirror Universe, Multi, Star-crossed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-16
Updated: 2012-09-16
Packaged: 2017-11-14 09:52:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/513969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just as Black Canary comes to terms with being back in her world, a visitor from the other dimension sends her careening back into the path of danger... and Slade Wilson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back Up the Rabbit Hole

**Author's Note:**

> Originally begun in 2006, revised multiple times, and not backdated due to inability to choose which revision was most accurate.
> 
> Based on Timm-Verse JLU and Teen Titans GO! with some comics for fleshing out.

Dinah did not wake up shivering anymore, remembering the painful fever Lady Owl’s virus had given her. Nor did she focus on the horrible scene of their Emerald Archer willingly trying to kill a person. She had managed to put those aside with the therapy that J’onn was willing to give her, when she specifically asked him to. She had hated encroaching on his self-finding, but the nightmares had been too explicit.

Now she would wake with the tingle of pleasant dreams, the wandering of a sensual imagination given license to use a dangerous man. She had barely returned Ollie’s calls, too absorbed in getting herself back into shape, or so she told herself. In honesty, she knew she was still conflicted over how sharply she had felt the attraction to the Slade of her other-dimensional adventure.

Speedy, or Arsenal as he styled himself these days, was steadily working through the Titan’s files, trying to learn if any of the young men serving there had the name Wilson. When she had remembered Slade’s comment about a daughter, she had added that to his search, but he had quickly eliminated the possibility. It seemed that Roy was on very familiar terms with most of the female Titans. That had made Dinah smile; like mentor, like ward.

It had been five weeks since her return. She had been on active duty for four of those, having taken the first week off to concentrate on the small florist shop she still owned, another legacy of her mother’s. That week had reinforced in her mind who she was, and what her purpose in life was. She was the Black Canary, vigilante and investigator all in one. That investigative side had kicked in hard on her latest case, as a string of kidnappings had come to her attention.

Girlfriends and wives had been targeted, taken from well-known routines, then hostaged for almost exactly the net worth of each one’s significant other. That, she decided, implied someone with resources in the banking world. Or, she had noted, someone with an obsessive-compulsive disorder relating to mathematical figures. She had picked up a few pieces of information from the man that had bankrolled several of her father’s investigations, and thought she might have a lead at last, after five victims.

When she got to her motorcycle, she had to smile at the young man with red hair standing there. Though his eyes did look her over with raffish intent, it was merely habit, as his features sported a frown for once.

"What in hell did you mean by setting me on this search? You do know Nightwing is my best friend of all time, right?" His voice showed the harshness that so many of the Titans were learning, facing the world threats they had encountered as they grew up with only each other to relate to.

"I needed to know, Arsenal. I owe a favor to someone that involves finding the Wilson boys." She leaned against her bike as he shook his head.

"We didn't even know! He’s been a solid teammate, but he’s the son of our oldest enemy!" Arsenal had to pace a little as he thought about it. "Raven vouches for him. It took some digging, but I now have files on everyone, and his is the most disturbing."

"You’ve had experience in trusting the children of your enemies. You just said so…you accepted Raven’s word that he is good." Canary reached out, setting her hand on Arsenal’s arm. "Tell me what you can."

"His name is Joseph William Wilson, known to us as Jericho. Seems his mom abducted him and raised him in hiding from Slade since he was little. Slade had something to do with the reason he can’t talk. And probably why he can do his little trick too, if our files on Slade are accurate." Arsenal moved closer to Canary, his whole body vibrating with his pent-up emotional energy. The slightly older woman gave him the hug he was seeking, offering him the stable comfort she seemed to give to the men in her life. "Canary, Slade is BAD. Dangerous to the nth degree. Don’t go getting mixed up in anything relating to him. I buried my data trails, and I’ve only revealed this to Raven, Nightwing, and now you."

"Arsenal, I won’t," she murmured in his ear. "I just need to keep an eye on him, to make good on the favor. I can’t let him come to harm."

"What’s up with this? Are you on Slade’s payroll now? Is that why you and the old man are ‘on a break’?" Arsenal’s inherent distrust caused him to pull back and look into her eyes, seeking answers.

"Remember my jaunt a few weeks back?" At his nod, she sighed. "I owe my life to the Slade there. And he only asked that I try and safeguard the sons here. I think he realized how much a monster he would have been on the wrong side of the game." She shivered. "It’s a debt I don’t mind paying. I happen to like you guys." She flashed him her winning smile, and Arsenal grinned, despite himself, like an infatuated teenager.

"I’ll see if I can pull him under my roster," he promised. "Be safe, Pretty Bird." He kissed her cheek and then set off to where his own bike was.

"You too, Arsenal." She never called him Speedy. From the time he told her he was Arsenal, that was how she treated him, and it made him walk taller.

`~`~`~`~`

She had not had cause to work solo with the Batman yet, and had barely passed five words with him. Still, she knew part of playing in the Gotham scum pond was the constant surveillance by him. When he touched down on her stakeout, a roof with a clear view of her lead’s hideout, she did not jump or truly move. He had studied her as he came down, and realized she had heard him before he even set down.

"Black Canary."

She did not take her eyes from the window she was using to try and spot the latest victim. "Yes, Batman?" Her voice was low, but not the sultry thing she practiced on villains and teammates alike. This was a no-nonsense voice, which showed she understood his path. Somewhere, deep inside the hidden aspect that was Bruce, he almost felt beneath her notice as a man, having studied her methods quite well. She always flirted, but with him, she was icy-professional.

"You need to report to Doctor Midnite. There are some anomalies in your recent physical." He had seen to it that she had one following her disappearance, as one could never be sure.

"And you could not just pass me that over the comm link?" Now she did cut a look at him, a smile tugging briefly at her lips. "I’m touched."

"You may be." He kept his tone dark, almost sinister, and watched again as it did not seem to faze her. "Wrap this case up, then see him at the WatchTower." There, he had given her the barest acknowledgement of her ability, leaving her on her case, rather than offering to finish it and send her on up. He would have to remember to tell both Barbara and Diana that his team skills were ‘improving’.

"Batman." Canary had focused back on the window. "Thank you." She understood him, in her own strange way, and that had the power to unnerve him, almost. She then did a rapid rise and dive, off the edge of the low building as her quarry came out. He could not help himself; this was his city, so he stayed, to lend a hand if needed. He had to admit the way she took the fall and landed after clipping the man’s knees was graceful. With the analytical part of his mind, he placed her style to that of a very revered Sensei. He also saw traces of Wildcat, who had taught Bruce Wayne how to fight dirty. The thing that set his BatSenses off, though, was her speed, her ability to anticipate the next move, and the sheer punishment she could both deal and take. This was not in line with his previous records of her.

"Doctor Midnite." He waited for the acknowledgement. "Your patient will be with you soon. Please see that I am included on the results."

"I don’t like this. She’s an old friend."

"Who may have been compromised by extra dimensional beings." He clicked off, leaving room for no further argument as he took a bat grapple out of the area.

`~`~`~`~`

Doctor Midnite watched the fighter enter the medical bay and had to suppress his sigh of worry. To his lensed vision, she was obviously different, and he could understand the concerns Batman had expressed. Not only had her blood samples seemed odd, not quite matching her files, but her whole physiology had changed. She had always been a woman of grace; now she moved with unknowing predatory silence.

"Pieter." Her smile could light up a room even for a unsighted person, he decided, as he returned it and hid his concerns beneath the veneer of a physician.

"Dinah." He indicated the changing screen. "Please; we’ll have to run full tests." She made a teasing moue in his direction, a small acknowledgment of their one date. She had wound up fast changing in the dark, which of course he had been able to see. She did go change, and came back in the sterile gown to begin the tests.

The doctor took blood and tissue samples, then subjected her to the stress tests and cognitive reasoning exams. He pushed her pain thresholds with a silent distaste for doing that to her before he tested her strength and reflexes. All in all, it was the most comprehensive test she had taken since her induction physical.

"Pieter, those abnormalities on my tests last time?" Dinah had never been one to be kept in the dark. "They did something, either the virus or the cure, right?"

"Yes. I’m finding traces of a mutagenic in your bloodstream. It appears to have broadened your abilities as a fighter and as a detective. You are using more of your brain, while your body is quicker to heal and running at a peak level not seen in athletes. I want to see if there are disadvantages, or if the condition is temporary."

Dinah considered that, and then glanced at the computer screens showing her former levels and the current ones. A suspicion niggled in the back of her mind, and she sighed.

"Pieter, thank you." She walked over to the changing area to slip back into her clothes. She considered what he had said, then mentally added in the details he did not have. ("Slade, you enigmatic man. Now I owe you my life plus one.")

`~`~`~`~`

If Black Canary decided not to let the tests weigh on her anymore, the same could not be said about Batman. He took the results Doctor Midnite had passed to him and ran his own analysis, coming back to it after a long night of patrolling and a fight against Scarface. Wanting to know the source of Black Canary’s new performance levels, he ran a crossmatch on the DNA and blood samples against his known metahumans database. Also, he ran the performance abilities themselves against all active and non-active heroes and rogues. He did not like mysterious changes to the people he had neatly pigeonholed, not when such changes had a way of backfiring and making monsters out of heroes.

The more he studied the available data, the easier it became to eliminate possible causes. When the search came to a close with a single cold face on the screen, Batman vowed to keep a very close check on Black Canary. His family had been hurt too often by the man called Slade.

`~`~`~`~`

The phone ringing brought Dinah up out of a well-earned sleep. She had spent the previous seventy-two hours on storm relief, using her sonic abilities to help break up tsunami waves before they could reach lethal proportions and land masses. It had exhausted her like no other task she had performed for the League, drawing the admiration of her teammates Zatanna and Red Tornado.

"Better be important," she managed to say, her voice an instrument of sensual torture with its sleepy huskiness.

"Sorry to wake you, Dinah," the caller said after catching his breath. "Arsenal asked me to give you a call and invite you to the Tower this weekend for a get together." She slowly identified the voice as being Ollie.

"Sure, Ollie. Tell him I’ll be there," she agreed. "Just call me a bit later, with all the details." There; she was opening communication back up with the archer. She could hear his relief at being given a warm welcome.

"Go back to sleep, Pretty Bird. I’ll be in touch after you’ve slept it off." The fondness in his tone as he used his pet name for her almost made her bite her lip.

"Good night, Ollie." She hung the phone up, falling back under almost instantly.

`~`~`~`~`

The weekend found the diminutive fighter refreshed, and stepping from the platform of the teleporter in Titans Tower into the embrace of her erstwhile boyfriend, Green Arrow. He had been waiting, looking roguish as always, and merely held his hand out to her, but she had moved fully into his arms. Her head rested on his chest for a long minute before she turned her face up to see his. The archer noted that her eyes were stormy, and though she was supple, there was an underlying tension.

"D—Canary, good to see you." He moved her to his side, rather than start a drawn-out ‘what’s wrong’ conversation.

"Arrow." She smiled as she noted the redhead had been at the controls to bring her in. "Arsenal." She let him move to her other side, at ease between the still growing teen and the older man.

"Humph." Arrow’s grunt was the expected kick off to the time-old exchange between mentor and former sidekick over their changed roles and the new name. Dinah merely listened in and laughed on occasion as they took her up to the roof where the latest assortment of junior and senior Titans were hanging out. She had pushed all thoughts but enjoying herself out of her mind, seeking to pick up her life’s normality once more. Over the course of the week since she had learned her new potential, she had forcibly come to terms with the fact that no matter her attraction to the man she had met, there was no future with him. His legacy to her, with his abilities enhancing her own, would be the way to remember him best. Today, she would honor that by learning a bit more on the type of son he might have had.

Black Canary was flattered to learn that most of these young heroes already knew her by reputation. Arsenal, apparently, had bragged about her, and she had pursued a few cases that had put her in the media. Then there was the simple fact she was a legacy hero, someone who had taken up the mantle from someone else. Now that the League had come to be, and reminded everyone of the forgotten JSA, it was nice to be an example of their generation's style. She had to stifle a smile a few times as this perpetually young green-skinned boy fawned in her wake, and she exchanged a bare nod with the young man currently serving as Robin. Nightwing was not present; he had opted out of Titan affairs, and Starfire led this bunch with Arsenal’s assistance.

Her eye fell on a blonde-haired teen that was earnestly signing a conversation with a young lady. She watched them for a moment and then felt Arsenal’s hand on her arm. She looked up at him, and he nodded just a bit. It was enough for Dinah to realize that the young man she had chosen to watch over was the one doing all the signing.

"Arsenal! Get that Feather Clan of yours over here and make good!" Cyborg yelled, waiting with a volleyball, Robin, and Pantha. "You said you three could take us on!"

"And we can!" Arsenal shouted back, standing up. Ollie got up, grumping about being too old for this, but both men reached down to assist Dinah in standing, a gallantry she allowed them.

"I don’t carry any arrows," she protested, good-naturedly.

"Well if a Canary didn’t have feathers, she’d be a mighty strange looking bird," Cyborg retorted, getting a laugh from all the Titans paying attention. Canary merely smiled at him, as she leaned down to adjust her fishnets quite deliberately. She did so with such artful grace that every male present was drawn toward the volleyball game, and some of the young women took notes.

"Very well, let’s play," she purred, causing Green Arrow to groan. When Canary got in the teasing mindset, all men were well warned to steer clear.

`~`~`~`~`

Canary’s day had gone smoothly, with no last minute alerts for the League, or calls for help from old friends. She had enjoyed the time with the young heroes, learning all she could about them. She was not the type to take a partner for extended lengths of time, but she could see where some of them could benefit from further mentoring, and would be sure to pass that onto the Big Seven. Of Jericho, she had learned little. He could not speak, he was currently partnered with Kole, and his meta ability was the ability to possess people on eye contact. He was an easy going young man, from what she had observed, and easy with the ladies.

She slipped into her apartment and shut the door, not bothering with lights in the main room, intent on getting a long, hot bath. The volleyball game had degenerated into a ‘powers-on’ free-for-all somewhere along the way. Leather did not exactly breathe the way sports truly needed, she decided. Next time Arsenal invited her to the Tower, she’d wear more practical clothing.

As she moved through her living room, she felt the barest hint of a presence, making her nerves tense. It was just enough warning as the intruder rushed her, intent on taking her to the floor with that one move. She twisted, and her attacker countered, using more force to violently bounce her head against the floor as they both fell. It stung hard enough to make her eyes unfocused, though the only sound that emerged was a small grunt. The attacker got a fistful of her hair, forcing her head sideways, so she could not face him directly when her vision cleared. His other hand grabbed the one she tried to hit him with, pinning it down.

"We’re going to have a talk now, Black Canary, about why you have tracked down my son." The voice sent chills down her spine, as she recognized it. The villainous Slade had come to visit her.

"If we’re to talk, you're going to let me up," she said in cool tones, quickly clearing her mind of every thought but anticipating him. "My word not to attack unless you threaten me again." As soon as she gave her word, the man moved; she had heard he put stock in the honor of ‘heroes’ as far as their word went. She realized she was analyzing everything about him, and recalling everything she had ever heard as she purposely rose slower than she could have.

"Tell me, Black Canary, how you came to even suspect that I had a child living among the Titans." The masked man took a seat in the only chair, as she moved to cautiously regard him from the sofa. "There is no method to your madness, from my perspective. I’ve never crossed your path, or that of your archer friend. Even the boy archer’s dealing in my business have been remote from your mission in life." His one good eye narrowed as he regarded her massaging the back of her head.

"I met someone that tipped me off that the boy might need my support," she said neutrally. She had found that Slade had either removed her comm chip in knocking her down, or it had fallen free. She doubted the latter; it had remained in place through the vicious fighting at Roulette’s cage matches.

"Someone. My son specifically." He was not buying her story. "Do tell, Black Canary, where you were for an extended time, six weeks ago?" His eye bored into her features. "Just before Arsenal began doing a thorough background check of all the Titans."

"On League business, Terminator," she responded. "You make a point of following lady vigilantes around? I thought it was merely little boys in bright costumes." Even as she said it, she wondered what had possessed her to try and provoke one of the deadliest men ever faced by the Titans.

Slade watched her a long moment before his wry chuckle surprised her further. "Cheeky little woman, aren’t you?" He stood up from the chair. "You watch over Joseph, and I won’t kill you." He approached her and leaned down over her, pointing his finger at her chest for emphasis. "Don’t play games with my son, or your death will make headlines for months." Under the threat she heard the one thing she never truly expected from him; true concern for the boy. She viewed him steadily, her eyes seeking whatever part of him was still human.

"In another world, another dimension, your sons were lost," she said as he pulled back, preparing to leave. "I made a promise to try and prevent that here." She watched him turn from her completely, facing the window. "Tell me, Slade. Why did I only find one son?"

"The other is dead, Black Canary. I’ll hold you to the promise of protecting the one remaining." With that, he left her, using the window he had entered by. Only then did she give into the nerves she had felt, bracing him in her own living room like that. She sank back into the cushions, her bath forgotten.

`~`~`~`~`

Her nerves did not settle for quite some time that night, and she finally opted to go out and patrol. It usually made her feel better to wander the city, looking for miscreants in need of a lesson from a five foot four woman in fishnets. In Gotham, there were always people to fit that bill for her. She had just finished strip cuffing an attempted rapist when she became aware of someone behind her, and it made her angry. Without even thinking about it, she whirled and loosed a Cry, with just enough force to stun.

"Ungh!" The masculine voice told her she had tagged her target, but it had pushed him into the shadows. She gave pursuit, launching through the alley and landing in a fully aggressive stance. Crouching in front of her was a familiar bald man, sweating and looking up with hurt eyes. "Canary, please…don’t hit me again."

"Oh my god, Alexi!" She stepped forward and helped him back to his feet. Alexi leaned heavily into her, letting her guide him to her motorcycle. "How did you get here?"

"How did you stand the nausea and dizziness in my world?" he countered, feeling very ill. "I can barely think."

"I’m a gut reaction girl, no need to think much." She considered, and put her helmet on him; she did not want to trigger the Bat Paranoia by being seen taking 'Lex Luthor' to her apartment. "Hang on, Alexi; we’ll talk at my place."

The city sped by, and she soon had him home, walking in warily, in case the night held any more surprise visitors. When she settled him on the couch, he winced slightly.

"You’re hurt."

"I tried to approach one of your ‘heroes’ for help, but they did not believe me. There was a scuffle, and I had to vanish." He sighed as she opened his shirt to look at the mottled bruising there.

"Lex Luthor has been a very large thorn in our sides for a long time." She got her first aid kit to tend his injuries. "And now he is there…. That could be very bad for the status quo."

"If this Lex catches on fast enough to determine the way of things, CHAMP could be in serious trouble." Alexi nodded his gratitude to her. "After my abortive attempt to gain the heroes’ notice, I made my way here to Gotham, to try and find you."

"As important as it is to get you back and stop Lex, not to mention figuring out why we seem to be crossing dimensions like this, you need rest." Canary helped pull him into a laying position, and then got him blankets and a pillow.

"We figured out the why, we think." Alexi said sleepily. "Tell you in the morning." With that, he gave in to the sleep he had craved since finding himself in this nightmarish place three days prior.

`~`~`~`~`

Alexi woke to the sound of angels talking, or so he allowed himself to believe, for just a moment. He sat up, noting with some relief that he did not hurt so much now, nor was the disorientation so severe. He glanced into the kitchen and saw Canary talking to a raven-haired woman quite earnestly.

"…think the anti intrusion protocols will keep him out, Zee. So I need a place to meet up with Mr. Terrific and you and you know at least one of the Big Seven will have to be present. But I’ve got to get him home, and knowing Luthor the way we do, I really think we should find a way to help clean up the mess he’s bound to have made."

"But if we keep crossing the dimensional barrier it will weaken further, and more of our villains or even heroes will get pulled across." The one called Zee was trying to be logical, and trying to make her friend see logic too.

"Let me put it another way, Zee. Would you like to take on an evil Batman without the knowledge of those who have faced him before? Or fix the problems such a man could create?" Canary watched Zee shudder in horror. "That’s what I felt like too, and I only faced his female accomplice." Canary blushed and smiled coyly, unaware so far of Alexi being awake. "Of course, I was not doing so well. Both times had me rescued by their heroes."

"One in particular, Canary? Which of our bad boys is tasty enough in the good spandex to turn your eye from Oliver Queen?" The magic user had built a solid friendship with the second string vigilante over the years, long before the League knocked on their doors.

"I can answer that, since the Canary is too shy to sing," Alexi said, joining them at last. At Canary’s deepening blush, he smiled gently. "None other than our leader, her counterpart’s nemesis, took personal charge of her safety the entire time she was there."

"Please, Alexi…all of you treated me well, and were very helpful in all turns of the visit." Canary was very shy about admitting what was patently obvious to the scientist and the mage; she had fallen for a man she could not have.

"Very well, I’ll tease no more, if you’ll introduce me to this lovely lady of your acquaintance." Alexi reached out and took Zee’s hand, kissing the back gallantly.

"Careful, Zee, this one is every bit as charming as he is handsome." Canary got her nerve back now that attention was off her personal life. "Alexi, meet Zatanna, our resident spell caster who helped bring me back home. Zatanna, this is Alexi, one of my first friends there."

"Call me Zee," the mage purred, smiling with dimples.

"Call me enchanted." Alexi waggled one eyebrow at her. "To business now?"

"Edih siht eno morf seye-rewoT," Zatanna said, pointing at Alexi. A tingle of energy flowed over him, and then she smiled. "Alright, we’ll take my car to the nearest teleporter pad."

Zatanna was on good terms with the Bat; she got him to call Mr. Terrific and a council at Black Canary’s urging. While Zatanna arranged all that, Black Canary had found Alexi’s current clothing for him. The trip to the teleporter had been done in silence, mostly, as Canary weighed several factors in her own head, and Alexi napped again, still slightly disoriented.

The two women walked on either side of Alexi, with him wearing a hooded sweat shirt and shades. They guided him to the council room on the Tower, noting his appreciation for their headquarters.

"They could not have ambushed us in this kind of set-up so easily," he commented just before they went inside the meeting room.

"They find ways." Zatanna’s voice was grim, but Black Canary said nothing. In comparing her world to Alexi’s in her head, she saw his as far worse. Zatanna noted the silence, and started appraising the situation more seriously.

Batman and Mr. Terrific were present, as was Supergirl, standing in for her cousin. The remaining four members to make it a full council were Flash, Shining Knight, Vigilante, and Wonder Woman. Black Canary noted the presence of three of the original seven with some unease; she would lay odds that either her current guest or the visit by the world’s most wanted mercenary had come to the Bat’s attention.

"Black Canary, who is your guest?" Mr. Terrific asked her, as everyone got situated. "And why request a council?"

"My guest is from the world I recently visited. His first encounter with us was much less pleasant than mine with his, so I just wanted to be sure things were done more fairly." She nodded to Alexi for him to show his identity. Canary was watching Batman, to gauge the reaction, and the slight twist up of his lip told her he had known. It made her marvel yet again at his ability to stay two steps ahead.

"Lex Luthor!" Supergirl’s reaction was predictable too.

"From an Earth that is one hundred eighty degrees to us." Mr. Terrific frowned. "We can send him back, but that does not tell us why these passages keep happening."

"I continued research on that matter after the lovely Canary returned here," Alexi said, turning on his capacious charm. His eyes moved over the heroes present, seeing them against the people he knew to be their counterparts in his world. He noted Supergirl with curiosity; like Zatanna, she was a stranger to him. "There is a rift that seems to be centering on the matter/anti-matter line between the various dimensions. From all available data, the very opposite polarities we live under keep trying to balance themselves out to plug the rift."

"Any theory concerning the nature of the rift?" Wonder Woman asked. "Is it something we can fix?"

"Shoot, Wonder Woman, ain’t no job too big for the Justice League once we get the know how," Vigilante said confidently.

"Admirable sentiment, Vigilante, but misplaced." Mr. Terrific looked at Alexi. "You were working on the problem from your side?"

"Indeed, until I blacked out and found myself in your New York, accosted by, ahem, some diligent heroes," Alexi told him, ruefully. "It took me three days to make my way to Gotham, and Black Canary." He smiled very warmly at the mentioned woman, who smiled brightly and winked at him. All the members present noted the byplay. Zatanna merely shook her head, amused by the incurable flirt meeting the unconquerable rogue. Batman and Mr. Terrific ignored it staunchly, while Flash’s face screwed up in disgust. Shining Knight pretended not to see, while Vigilante was snickering silently at Flash’s discomfort. Wonder Woman saw it as nonsense, and her sigh said so. Only Supergirl seemed intrigued by the possibilities of a good Lex Luthor.

"Would you be willing to put your knowledge with mine to work on a solution?" Mr. Terrific inquired.

"Sorry, Terrific, but there’s another concern." Canary was aware of Batman studying her, again. "We know Luthor is one of the smartest men alive, and Alexi here comes from a world where the three biggest threats are under lock and key. If Luthor caught on fast enough, we can’t begin to imagine the havoc that has happened in the past three days there."

"Canary’s right; sending him back comes first." Batman favored Terrific with a glance. "As she reported hearing you before actually coming back, there must be a way to modulate your beam to at least allow burst communication so we can work on the big picture."

"And while you do that, I want to return there to clean up our mess, in the form of what Luthor may have done," Canary interjected. "If Alexi goes first, he can secure access to where my counterpart is."

"I’m sure they are adequate to the task," Shining Knight began.

"And I am equally sure that if an evil Batman came through some rift, I’d want the expertise of someone who has actually faced him at my side," Canary retorted in turn.

"You’ll need a team," Batman said, ending all debate as he came to an analysis decision that weighed more factors than any of them could have.

`~`~`~`~`

Black Canary was unsure how they had come to the conclusions they made, but it was decided to give her a team of senior Titans. Alexi, Mr. Terrific, Zatanna, and Batman had made the decisions while she did some quick requests with Shining Knight and Vigilante to follow up on the few cases she had currently. When the Titans arrived, Black Canary had to keep from exploding with a temper none of them would understand.

Arsenal was there, fully outfitted with arrows and his special pistols. Kid Flash, wearing his brazenness like a badge that put Flash to shame, cheekily pinched Wonder Woman’s butt. But when she saw Jericho, it tore her up to be taking him into an unknown situation, where he might possibly have to face his father’s doppelganger. Her eyes met Arsenal’s and she knew in an instant that it had been his call to take the mute hero, a point he would pay for later, Black Canary decided.

At last minute, Supergirl found herself included, to provide heavy back up if Luthor had really, really messed things up. Mr. Terrific had concluded he could pinpoint where to send their group, and they would have to hope that Canary’s and Alexi’s counterparts would be shunted to the Tower, as had happened when they brought Canary home by pushing Kestrel back through. The League had mobilized a heavy field team to make sure both Luthor and Kestrel remained in custody until Canary brought her team home. It was as they were discussing the arrangements for sending them that Canary realized her team had no counterparts in the other world, except possibly Supergirl.

"I’ll be opening pinpoint transmissions every four hours, to see if it is time." Mr. Terrific clasped Canary’s hand in both of his, palming something to her. "I’ve tweaked your communicator to hear it."

"Thank you, Terrific." She wondered what it was but never showed the item as she casually adjusted her jacket. "Let’s go, team." Her eyes cut daggers into Arsenal, but he merely shook his head at her.

`~`~`~`~`

The dizzy, nauseous feeling was just as palpable to Canary when they arrived as the gun and sword pointed their direction in the smoldering ruins of what had been CHAMP headquarters. Her gaze met Terminator’s with honest concern, before she realized she had already dropped into defensive posture. A glance at her team told her they were only just getting the picture of what they were in, and whom they were facing.

"Calm down, remember he’s the good guy," Black Canary commanded, forcing herself up to a relaxed stance, while Alexi looked around.

"Which one did he get out?" the genius scientist asked, heedless to the Titans’ and Supergirl’s slowness to obey Canary’s orders.

"Owl." Terminator was looking over the Titans as intently as they were studying him, having dismissed Canary from scrutiny as quickly as she had recognized him. His eye lingered on the blond Titan a very long moment.

As Alexi surveyed the damage done, and Slade began giving the rundown on the destruction to Alexi, Canary turned to her team. She was concerned on how Jericho would react, having been unprepared for immediately encountering the man who was his father’s counterpart. Arsenal was already talking in very low tones to him, and the sign language from Jericho did not seem too angry.

"Canary." Kid Flash was at her elbow. "Arsenalwantedmetotellyouit’sokay. Jerichowaswarned."

"Great. Too bad I didn’t get the chance to warn this Slade." She saw the signing had not slowed any at all. "What is he saying then?"

"Thathefeltagreatblacknessandvoidwhenwecamethrough." Sorting through Kid Flash’s speech was difficult, but he was trying to slow it down enough.

"We’ll have to let Terrific know then." Canary made eye contact with Supergirl, and the Kryptonian moved to the forefront of the Titans, so Canary could walk to the two men.

"My team is here to aid you in capturing whomever the Luthor of our world released." She had to stop herself from looking too long at Terminator; she could feel his anger as if it were a physical wave of energy.

"Good. We are running at thin ranks right now. Owlman is a difficult catch to make." The swordsman sheathed his blade, and then holstered his pistol. "Come on; I have a place for us to work out of. I’ve sent the other members of CHAMP to ground. As none of Owlman’s experts were able to come forward, I have resumed leadership."

"You are most able for thinking on his level," Alexi said. "Outside of myself, and I prefer to work from the background." His arrogance was reasserting itself, Canary noted, with amusement despite the grim stakes in play.

`~`~`~`~`

The small group of seven made their way out of the ruins, and followed Slade’s lead toward the harbor, where he ushered them into a small warehouse. The hair on the back of Canary’s neck prickled as she looked around.

"It is." Slade’s voice was almost right at her ear, low. "I thought we’d hide out in his girlfriend’s lair." She shivered as she realized that it was indeed the place they had captured Lady Owl at. She had to force herself not to jump as Slade’s hand touched the small of her back, as if steadying her. "Alexi, brief them on Owlman. I’ll get Black Canary’s thoughts on anything your other self might have passed on to him." He was guiding her to another room, and she could feel her heart hammering at the thought of being alone with him. Sternly, she put herself into mission mode, rather than silly schoolgirl. Slade turned them into a small office and shut the door behind them, removing his mask.

"You should have brought Supergirl as she knows…" She got no more out as she found herself pressed tight to the door, and the man who evoked fear even in his allies was pressed close, claiming her mouth. Even in her own mind, it all felt surreal, but her body was going with it, as she melted close and returned the kiss intensely. When he broke from her, she could not help the small whimper of disappointment.

"I did not want you to vanish again before I did that," he murmured by way of explaining. "And I already know what I need to of Luthor; Owlman gave him reason to regret setting him free." He ran his thumb over her jaw. "You return, bringing my son so I may see what a man he could have been."

"Not my idea. I was too afraid what we’d be walking into to have chosen him for a mission. I don’t even know his capabilities, but Arsenal does." She decided she was babbling, and he must have as well, because he smirked.

"You cannot put him a gilded cage of your concerns, Canary. You should know better." He moved somewhat away from her, but it was merely to look her over with a trained eye.

"Yes, your effort to save me had lasting effects," she said, interpreting his thoughts perfectly. "Thank you, for saving my life and for that."

"It had to be done," he said gruffly. "And now we will use those abilities well." He threw a rapid punch her way, and smiled when she caught it on her open palm. "Very swift reflexes. I think the shape you were in prior to the infusion likely made your body adapt quicker." He drew his mask back on, and she frowned a bit.

"You make me react in ways I don’t fully trust, Slade Wilson," she told him bluntly.

"Good." He opened the door and led her back out.

`~`~`~`~`

Arsenal rejoined the Black Canary with a thoughtful expression, watching as Deathstroke the Terminator went over to Alexi to discuss the situation. While it was strictly Arsenal with her, Canary pulled the device Mr. Terrific had passed to her. There was a very tiny note attached to a thumb drive; it told her to view alone if possible, and use wisely.

"Canary, what’s the game plan for us? I’ve got some ideas on how to take Ba…Owlman down; Nightwing had us run scenarios, in case Starro ever came calling." He watched her frown and glance around.

"Hold one; I think Terrific gave us an ace up our sleeves." She spotted a computer, and walked over. "Arsenal, make this thing work," she said quietly, one eye on her team and the native heroes. The archer had to chuckle, but soon had her powered up and able to view the drive contents. He tried not to peek, even when she gasped softly.

"Useful?"

"Very." There was a long pause, and then Canary shifted in her seat. "Alexi; Terminator, come here. I need you." She was fully in mission mode, and so missed the wry look that Arsenal gave her. He had decided that one of these two men, and likely the one he liked less, was responsible for things cooling between her and the old Arrow. He moved away, letting both of them flank her and observing carefully but discreetly. The Luthor with a personality laid his hand on Canary’s shoulder as he leaned over her, whereas Terminator stood militantly there.

"I never knew," Alexi whispered. "If you’re going to ask if those companies exist, that man exists, then the answer is yes. We never put it together, not even after we captured him."

"We knew the face was a plastic surgery effect. And he had no traceable DNA reports, no fingerprints, nothing to link him back." Slade sounded thoughtful. "He must have purloined one of Ivo’s experiments to appear as him, or we would have seen it sooner."

"Hit him there. It is his power base, and he’ll have to move to protect it." She stood up. "Depending on how close the analogues are, I may be able to help you find him once he is on the run."

"We’ll need Savage’s funds." Alexi walked away to take care of the details, while Dinah stared at the picture of Wayne Enterprises and its owner, Bruce Wayne. Terrific had taken a big chance, giving her the files on who everyone in the League really was, but it might just let them take the threat down with a minimum of injuries.

`~`~`~`~`

From the very first ‘attack’ they launched, Canary’s nerves were prickling. The local heroes were going to dismantle Wayne Enterprises, and she knew that would draw Owlman out into open warfare. It was just a matter of time, and that time would be short. Canary trusted her nerves, even as disoriented as she could be in this world. Supergirl seemed the least affected by being here. Alexi must have seen it too, as he had taken up a casual pursuit of the charming young woman. Both Kid Flash and Arsenal she knew to be uncomfortable due to the company they were in, but could not read Jericho at all. Black Canary could only surmise that the dimension swapping was easier when your counterpart was dead already.

Slade was very busy, coordinating communications and attack plans with heroes that were around the world. They were unsure where Owlman would lash out, but Canary knew it as sure as she knew her own name. If Batman were driven beyond reason to protect Gotham, where would his one hundred eighty degree counterpart most likely lash out? She listened to the final preparations for the massive buyout, and then lightly laid her hand on Slade’s shoulder to get his full attention. As he turned, he saw that she was biting her lip, looking far too young to have the experience she did at this game.

"Slade, how many heroes in Gotham?"

"Not many, and none at the level to take him on," he said, keeping his tone low. "You think it will be his back yard?" At her nod, he considered. "Logically, he should strike at one of our remaining embassies."

"Logic carries him, but it is raw emotion that began his evolution, I’d wager. Batman is one of the most intensely driven people I have ever met, with such a tight control on his emotions that I look twice to see if he honestly is human. But I’d bet my mother’s first motorcycle that he became who he is through some sort of severe emotional trial." Canary perched on the low counter near him, sitting just far enough that she was not touching him. "His counterpart has to be fairly similar. And when you upset such a person in a corner they expected to be safe, they blow up where they feel safest."

"Interesting theory," he told her, a smile touching his lips under the mask. "I know there are enough here to handle him if he shows up; shall we take your team to Gotham? If it does happen there, fighting a team made up of heroes from your world may be another discouraging event for him."

"How soon can we leave?" The pressure on her nerves eased some, now that they had a plan.

"You only have the one flyer, and one speedster. I’ll need to get us transport." He was steadfastly refusing to be distracted by her, by the connection they both felt, and he could see it in her eyes that she had made up her mind to ignore it as well. His sudden turn away to go arrange the transport was the break she needed to keep herself from reaching out to touch his masked face. She slid down on the floor and walked to the room where Supergirl and the Titans were.

"We’re going to Gotham, soon as we have wheels or jets," she announced. "Supergirl, you are our first warning system. I know Bats can sneak up on anyone, so this Owlman is likely to be just as bad. Listen HARD." She glanced at Kid Flash, wishing for just a minute it were Flash instead. This boy, the second Kid Flash, was even more hyper than Flash, and cocky enough to take on Darkseid at a moment’s notice. "Kid Flash, you will recon whatever perimeter we decide on. Do not move in recognizable patterns; keep it mixed up." She turned to Arsenal, sizing him up. "You’re the one that needs to stay hidden. I want his attention on me or Terminator, so you can get your arrows into play first."

"And Jericho?" Arsenal asked, chin up defiantly. He was not going to let her be the one in jeopardy if he could help it. Around him, the other young heroes were rethinking their opinions of the little blonde in fishnets. As she was typically a solo fighter, or at best a duo with Green Arrow, none of them had guessed she had a grasp on how to deploy a full team.

"Getting there," she said, amused. "Jericho, I want you hidden too…away from Arsenal. Once Owlman is distracted by any fighter, you get in there and do your thing."

"What about henchmen?" Arsenal asked, translating Jericho’s signed question.

"Supergirl and Kid Flash. They serve as early warning, and then help take out the goon squad. I’ll be focused on that too, as Terminator will probably beat me to the punch on spotting the Owl."

"Perhaps," the man in question said, having entered silently. His gaze had been on Canary, and he was very pleased that she had noted him before all but the Kryptonian girl. It was a matter of clinical interest, he told himself, to see how the serum had affected the woman. He did admit that he had thought far more of her, ever since that day he had given her his own blood to save her life, than he had thought of any person in years.

"Ready?"

"Should be here in ten." He jerked his head up. "Roof." With that, he led the way to an access ladder, somehow being the one that helped pull Canary up once he was sure it was clear. The fact that she wound up pressed close for just an instant was just a forbidden moment of pleasure to enjoy in these hours of tense waiting.

`~`~`~`~`

It was on the bird that Black Canary noted Jericho looked just slightly ill. Arsenal noted her look and mouthed back ‘motion sickness’, leaving Canary just a little less uneasy. She noted that Arsenal was studying the controls as Terminator maneuvered them through the air to Gotham. She had no doubt he would be able to fly it by the time they landed. Then she realized Kid Flash was sitting in the copilot position and knew they had another pilot on hand; the boy was able to absorb knowledge very quickly. She spent the rest of their flight racking her brain for where the more concentrated Batman sightings were, just in case they had to draw Owlman’s attention to themselves.

"Brace!" Supergirl called just before Terminator’s instruments registered an incoming bogey. Canary felt the man maneuver the bird as easily as Green Lantern could make a construct, but the bogey was locked on. Supergirl opted to make her exit then, going to deal with it in true ‘S’ style. Unfortunately, the bogey’s detonation so near the bird was enough to disrupt her guidance, and Terminator had to throw his efforts into bringing her down safely.

"Don’t fight the yoke," Canary said, unconsciously taking charge in her quiet manner. "Supergirl, catch and land!" She pitched her voice just slightly with the Cry, and knew the Kryptonian had heard it when the vessel gave a small bump and then steadied. The pilot responded by unstrapping and unholstering his personal weapons, a cue taken by the others. Canary placed her hand flat on Arsenal’s chest, shaking her head as she passed him. As dead set as he had been on protecting her, her face made him cool his heels. This woman before him was not the precious little Bird that his mentor so adored. This was a battle-hardened woman with not only years of heroing under her belt, but a confidence about it that defied failure. In short, this was the woman that had proven fishnets did not preclude serious butt kicking for the second generation. Arsenal would wait inside, just like Jericho. Kid Flash was already out and running, trying not to fall into a pattern that could be seen, while Supergirl was taking to the air to target for them. For a moment, it looked like they might have the plan they needed, despite the early detection.

Then the mobs arrived on the horizon, and even Slade took a grim view of what would proceed.

"He’s turned this whole city into mindless zombies," Canary murmured, her regret at that evident in her voice.

"We do what we have to, Black Canary, to end the threat he represents. In two and a half days since his release, he has killed over 10,000 people," Slade told her, keeping his own voice dispassionate.

"Canary!" Supergirl hovered just above them. "Found some lead lined bunkers!"

"The problem with not trusting your allies is that you plant giveaways," the blonde said, smiling. "Kid Flash, recon; do not engage!" For him she used the communicators Slade had provided, not expecting a reply until he slowed down after doing his task.

"And you doubted your counterpart’s threat ranking?" Slade asked with black humor. Her shrug and winning smile were his only answer before they felt a shock wave throw them from their vantage. It seemed Owlman had some meta talent in his mobs, and this particular one was a winsome blond herself, throwing stones and lifting the ground at their feet. Canary was suddenly very glad she had not brought any of the original five Titans on this mission as she saw an adult Terra. Rather than risk having her power thrown back at her, Canary focused her cry on Terra’s floating rocks, and shattered them. Almost in sync with her effort, Terminator fired, using his stun bolts to knock the woman unconscious as she was falling. That set the tone of battle, as Kid Flash searched for the true nemesis and Supergirl assisted. The unlikely pair of Terminator and Black Canary held their ground, never revealing their hidden two allies as they fought defensively.

It had bothered Terminator to see Terra here, mixed into the crowd of metas under the Owl’s sway. He kept it far from his battle mind, though, just as he kept the pleasure he was feeling tightly controlled. It was a joy to fight, shoulder-to-shoulder, or back-to-back, with someone so finely tuned, approaching his own ability. The fact that this fighter was a bright, beautiful woman for whom he felt an attraction just sweetened the feeling.

"Gotit. Amindscramblerorsomething." Canary could barely make out what Kid Flash had said, and then did not need to as the angry mobs became lost citizens holding their heads in agony. Even the metas in the crowd seemed afflicted with pain and confusion.

"Mind-raping bastard," Terminator said, quickly reloading and recharging his weaponry. Canary nodded, a bit winded as she had relied heavily on her Cry. "I can only imagine how his counterpart turned out."

"Batman is one of the true inspirations. Only human, no special trick or alien or god-given ability, and he fights ten times harder for it," she replied after clearing her throat. Terminator glanced sidelong at her, and then smiled where she could not see it.

"You admire him." He moved to put his back to hers, letting both rest just a bit, while they awaited the next wave. They were an obvious target, with their unique plane and Supergirl hovering above them. Kid Flash had returned, at least twice, Canary thought, so she felt that she could relax slightly by leaning into the support the man gave.

"Yes. I think in the end, it is humanity that must save itself, not an all powerful being from another planet or a princess of a near immortal race."

"Even though your abilities place you just outside that human curve?" he probed.

"I am different," she conceded. "But I’ll never see myself as anything but human."

"Heads up, Canary; got a jet powered…OOF!" Supergirl had to cut the chatter to deal with a barrage of small missiles, streaking from an incoming plane. On the ground, new threats arrived in the form of Owlman’s henchmen, led by none other than Lady Owl. Terminator felt his partner in battle tense, then move away from him just enough to have a clear shot from any angle she needed with her Cry.

"Supergirl, force that plane down!" Terminator ordered, unsheathing his sword for close work. The naked steel had a way of unnerving opponents, and he knew just how to use it to his advantage. Canary, who would not use any weapons beyond her voice and body, was amazed at his control over the deadly weapon even in mass combat.

"On it, One-Eye!" the perky heroine called back, amidst sounds of an unequal dogfight.

"I’ll never understand heroes who need to quip," Terminator said after punching a goon out with his hilt.

"It’s a defensive mechanism," Canary told him, leg sweeping the ones closest to her. "Takes the mind off the survival issues in such a way as to free up more of the body’s potential."

"And now you are Miss Psyche One Oh One?" Supergirl teased from her aerial battle.

"Daddy made me learn my psychology. Every tool available, he always said." Black Canary’s patter was to warm her throat back up, and let her Cry recuperate its strength. She had a feeling she was going to need it as Supergirl finally managed to pound the plane out of the air. Its occupant had bailed and Supergirl had to keep the plane from causing too much devastation in its crash.

"He’s coming down fast," Terminator said, turning his attention to the likely impact point.

"Go! I’ll take these," Canary said, aware that Kid Flash was making his presence known with hypersonic punches and barrier winds. Slade leaped with almost superhuman ability, clearing the crowd between him and Owlman. The villain came down ready, and they traded blows almost before Owlman was on the ground. After that, Canary could not see the battle, for Lady Owl had finally come into her range.

The two women had sized each other up through the rush of combat, and now met with savagery on one side, and level headed skill on the other. Canary found that Wildcat’s teaching suited this fight just fine, employing the boxer’s raw power moves to keep her opponent rattled. Lady Owl made a few attempts to use the gadgets in her belt, but Canary always had a kick or sweep ready to make her lose her grip. It seemed the battle was all hers until she made the mistake of trying to throw the other woman.

Electricity arced through every nerve, every muscle as her hands closed on the armored fighter. It was all she could do to remain conscious, as Lady Owl swiftly took advantage of the turn of events. She would have finished Canary in an instant, except for the arrow that exploded into a taser net around her. Arsenal had blown his cover to save the woman his mentor loved, and caused Jericho to also come out into the fray, going after the prime target.

Arsenal was at Canary’s side in the span of heartbeats, checking her pulse, as she lay dazed on the pavement. Jericho, likewise was angling to get in position to utilize his gift on Owlman. The tiny woman managed to get her breath back as her heart was skipping in time to an unheard drum, while Arsenal readied his bow again.

"Hello, boy," Owlman growled as Jericho came into his field of vision, just after he had back-fisted Terminator down to a knee, making him lose his grip on his sword with the force of the blow. Their eyes met, and it was as if a hazy apparition passed between them. The next thing Arsenal saw was Canary rising while Owlman apparently blacked out.

"He’s never made them do that," Arsenal said, his gaze cutting to Jericho. The other Titan had reached down to pick up the sword Slade had dropped, and turned to the older man.

"NO!" Canary suddenly burst forward, as a few details came into sharp focus. Jericho had not been motion-sick, while the blackness and void only he had felt was the fact that his counterpart had no body to exchange to the other dimension. She moved too slowly to reach them, but her shout brought Jericho around, an ugly look on his face. Her rush to prevent what she had surmised was met by the Titan’s own rush, and then there was a very cold sensation in her guts. She was only vaguely aware of Arsenal’s cry, of the Terminator moving too late to render Jericho unconscious, of Kid Flash suddenly there, trying to ease her down and hold her stomach. Supergirl landing, the shocked look on her face, was the last thing she saw.

`~`~`~`~`

Arsenal was still in shock, so it became Supergirl’s team from the moment Black Canary had collapsed in the street, her tiny body fast losing the fight to live. Supergirl had the presence of mind to see to insuring that the bad guys stayed down, something she would have expected the one-eyed guy to do. Except he was at Canary’s side, helping Kid Flash apply aid to their fallen comrade. Soft words were exchanged between the Speedster and the former mercenary before both Kid Flash and Canary vanished. Only then did Terminator go and inspect the captives, aware that the remaining goons who had been conscious had fled when Owlman fell.

"Arsenal, keep Jericho sedated," he ordered, and then he turned to Supergirl. "Take the two Owls to Stryker, Supergirl. I’ll radio them to expect you. I’ll also see that the rest of these are cleaned up to the proper authorities." He was calm, very cool and concise as he dealt with the aftermath of the battle. Almost mechanically, Arsenal obeyed him, and Supergirl wondered how intensive his sessions with either J’onn or Raven would be. It wasn’t every day you saw a friend try to murder your mentor's lover. She gathered up the two super villains and flew away after finding out where to return to.

`~`~`~`~`

That had turned out to be the city they had started in, at a small charity hospital in a poor side of town. A man named Victor Fries was operating on Dinah, apparently owing Terminator some very large favor. Kid Flash had already looked the man’s credentials up, and assured Supergirl that he was the real thing, a bona fide genius in medicine and science both. Supergirl merely nodded, noting that though Arsenal was present, neither Terminator nor Jericho was.

"What gives? Where’s One-Eye? He almost gets our Canary killed and bugs out?" she asked, somewhat meanly.

"Actually, he’s tending to Jericho, getting a mage and taking him to Stryker." Arsenal looked ashen. "Jericho’s opposite is his son." That admission stunned the Kryptonian. "Canary had me find Slade Wilson’s son in our world after her first trip here. She had told Slade here that she would watch over that son in her own world." Confession seemed to be helping the archer as he spoke. "When the call came for Titans, ones that had no living counterparts here, I thought I’d let Jericho have a chance to see how his dad could have been."

"You couldn’t have known. I watched Alexi Luthor show Terrific which Titans he had never seen or the ones he knew to be dead," Supergirl said softly.

"Canary did not want him to come. I thought she was being overprotective, but she has this way…an instinct for how things can turn out. I should have paid attention."

"Arsenal, she was being overprotective. I could see that; I just did not know why." Supergirl drew in a deep breath. "She’s got a thing for One-Eye, doesn’t she?"

"He saved her life, I think. And yeah, but she’s always got a thing for older men, especially ones that live dangerously." Arsenal drew in a deep breath. "I’m afraid she’s not going to make it. That sword…."

"She’s tough. Real tough." Supergirl pulled him close, and let him take comfort from her.

`~`~`~`~`

Terminator and Jericho appeared about two hours later, the latter looking rather dejected. Canary was still in surgery, and there had been no progress reports given. Kid Flash had run the city countless times, and Arsenal had fallen into silence. When he saw Jericho, he signed something to the younger Titan, who replied in kind. They both moved away from everyone else, sitting to carry out a silent conversation to one side. Supergirl looked at the older man, studying him closely.

"You have concerns?" he asked her, showing his awareness of her scrutiny.

"Canary’s my friend. One of the few Leaguers to really treat me as a grown up and a hero in my own right." Supergirl watched the way his back tensed so rigidly, listened to his heartbeat, his breathing, trying to find any sign that he knew what the petite woman felt. "She’s like that with most people. Takes them at face value, and sees more in them than others might. Sometimes more than they can see of themselves." She stood up, preparing to go find Kid Flash. "I’ve often wondered if she sees more than exists in some people." With that, she was gone, before he could retaliate.

"Wilson." The surgeon was standing in the doorway, his deep voice resonating in each of the waiting heroes. "She’s in the recovery room. I recommend not having a crowd around her." He viewed Jericho with quickly hidden surprise, implying an association with Slade that went back quite some time.

"Doc, she’s going to be okay?" Arsenal asked, his eyes tormented as he asked.

"It is up to her now. I have repaired as much of the damage as I may." Fries turned and left then. Slade was standing with his arms crossed, his face unreadable even without his mask.

"Go." He looked directly at Arsenal. "You are her kinsman, in all but fact." The archer left them in silence, walking back to where the nurse directed him. He ached to see Dinah hooked up to the monitors, looking tiny and frail.

"You know, when Ollie told me he had found a girl, I laughed it off. He found a girl every week, and I figured this was no different." Roy took her hand, leaning over the bed to press his forehead to it. "Then I met you, and I hated him for meeting you first. You dazzled me like you did him." He drew in a ragged breath. "And now I think we may lose you, even if you come through this. Because I see it, Dinah. You fell hard for him, and he’s not like Ollie. He’s not going to still be dating some other woman every week while flirting and courting you." He straightened up where he sat at her side. "I wouldn’t blame you if you did stay with him. The fact he’s here, waiting says that he feels something. Unless I’m off base, and no Titan can be off base on a Slade Wilson."

`~`~`~`~`

Dinah knew she was not alone. Her body was hurting; one effect of a superior metabolism was the loss of benefit from most painkillers. She felt weak, and lightheaded, but the disorientation was gone. That last bit made her try to sit up, very much the wrong move, but one that got her companion’s attention.

"Dinah, don’t try to move much," came Roy’s voice. "You’re still healing, though pretty damn fast for what happened." He moved into her view, his face drawn and covered with a few days’ growth.

"We’re in our world," she whispered, her voice full of heartbreak, and Roy closed his eyes.

"Slade insisted, when Fries told him that you weren’t healing correctly. Thought it had to do with dimension fighting you being there." He left out the fact that Slade had first demanded Faust or Circe find a way to make a spell to help her fit his own world.

"The team?"

"All of us are fine." He stroked her face with a knuckle. "Dinah, I just want you to know…. he was there the whole time, until the decision was made to come back." He watched her turn her face away, hiding tears from him, and sighed. "I’ll tell Ollie you’re still not up to visitors." He stood and left her in privacy, not wanting to intrude on what she was feeling.

`~`~`~`~`

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you one and all for your support!


End file.
